1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a point management system for managing service points issued to customers through customer or store terminals according to customers' transactions. The service points are used for providing the customers with sales promotion services.
2. Description of the Related Art
In retail transactions, sales promotion service “points” (hereinafter referred to as the points) such as coupons, stamps, and service cards are issued. The coupons are issued or marks are stamped on a specific sheet according to the amount of purchase. When the number of coupons or marks reaches a predetermined figure, one can exchange them for commodities or notes, or partly pay for purchased commodities with them. Namely, the service points are a kind of sales promotion service. To issue the coupons, etc., a store must convert the amount of purchase into points. To exchange the coupons for commodities, the store must count the numbers of coupons presented by customers. This is troublesome and frequently involves errors. On the customers side, they must keep the coupons and marked sheets and see whether or not the number of the coupons or marks is exchangeable for commodities.
To reduce the troublesome work and risk of losing the coupons, the service points may be added up at a POS terminal at a checkout counter, and whether or not the points are exchangeable for predetermined commodities may be printed on a receipt, as disclosed in “POS Terminal Apparatus” of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 63-40995. This disclosure, however, lets a customer know its cumulative points only after the checkout. In addition, actual service such as exchanging for service commodities provided by salesclerks, puts a heavy load on a store. The service provided to customers is limited to exchanging for commodities and discount, which does not fully satisfy a variety of customer requirements.
Another disclosure (“A Method of and an Apparatus for Automatically Issuing Service Coupons” of Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 4-264996) employs an identification card for a customer, adds up service points, issues a service coupon from an automatic coupon dispenser according to the service points, reads the coupon with a POS terminal, and deducts the amount of the coupon from the purchase. According to this technique, a customer must always carry the identification card with him or her when purchasing commodities and keep the card and exchanged service coupons. This is troublesome for customers. On the other hand, a store must once change service points into service coupons and read the service coupons through POS terminals, to provide a service. Namely, the store must increase manpower to provide the service. The service is limited to discounting so that it insufficiently satisfies a variety of customer needs.
Another method converts the amount of a purchase into points, stores cumulative points in a recording medium such as a magnetic card carried by a customer, and updates the stored data whenever the customer purchases commodities or receives service. This method has the following problems.
(1) The customer must carry the recording medium whenever purchasing commodities.
(2) It is impossible for the customer to confirm cumulative points before purchasing commodities.
(3) If the recording medium is lost or destroyed, the cumulative points will be lost, and it is virtually impossible to restore the data.
(4) Ways of accumulating points and providing service are fixed, and it is difficult to flexibly change points and services.
(5) Service information will be given to customers only in pamphlets and direct mail. It is impossible to provide customers with service information according to their needs.
Customers have a variety of needs, not only exchanging points for commodities or money. Retail transactions involve not only sales at stores but also mail-order sales through telephones and personal computers. It is required to provide the same service for these different transactions.
Stores require a point management system that not only issues service points to attract customers but also supports sales promotion services that let customers enjoy shopping with no inconvenience.